Various sessions and keynote addresses that focus on the peace conference pillars: #1 Individual Peace, #2 Peace at Homes and in Families, #3 Peace Education in School, #4 Promoting Peaceful Communities and Reducing Violence, #5 Addressing and Preventing Human Trafficking, #6 The Quest for Racial Equity & Justice, #7 Empowerment of Women and Girls and #8 International Peace.
Conference Day 1
FRIDAY, MAY 5
9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Opening Session
North Exhibition Hall 2
Welcome – Will Ratliff, Chairperson, 2023 International Peace Conference
Topic: The Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham featuring Odessa Woolfolk, Founding President and Chair Emerita of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Topic: Building Peace in Birmingham featuring Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, City of Birmingham, AL
Topic: Rotary & Peace featuring Jennifer Jones, President, Rotary International
Topic: UAB’s Contribution to Peace in Birmingham featuring Dr. Ray Watts, President, University of Alabama at Birmingham
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Coffee Break
10:45 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. Breakout Session 1
Pillar #1 Topic: Meditation for Peace & Health – featuring Dr. Yolanda Lewis-Ragland, Director of Community Impact and Health Equity, National Collaborative for Health Equity
Location: Forum Meeting Room A
Pillar #2 Topic: Prevention and Treatment – Domestic Violence featuring Susann-Montgomery Clark, Founder, Megan’s Fund; Allison Dearing, Executive Director, One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center; and Dr. LaRhonda Magras, CEO, YWCA Central Alabama
Location: Forum Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Innovative Early Learning featuring Dr. Tommie Bice, Board Chair, i3 Academy; and Lella Carl Hamiter, Executive Director, Preschool Partners
Location: North Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: New Gen Peacebuilders featuring Patricia Shafer, Founder and Executive Director,
NewGen Peacebuilders
Location: North Meeting Room DC
Pillar #4 Topic: Community-Based Health Care and Peace featuring Dr. Meghan Bonds, Medical Director, Hale County (AL) Hospital; Dr. Robert Record, Founder and CEO, Family Medicine Residency Faculty for Christ Health Center; Dr. Mona Fouad, Professor/Senior Associate Dean at UAB, Live HealthSmart Alabama; and Teresa Shufflebarger, Chief Administration Officer, Live HealthSmart Alabama
Location: North Meeting Room E
Pillar #4 Topic: Creation of Peace Environments – Red Trail System and Cool Green Trees featuring Rusha Smith, Executive Director, Freshwater Land Trust; Francesca Gross, Executive Director, Cool Green Trees; and Amanda Storey, Executive Director, Jones Valley Teaching Farm
Location: North Meeting Room F
Pillar #4 Topic: New Birmingham Violence Intervention featuring Sherah Liverpool, Associate Director, Health Alliance for Violence Intervention and Deborah Daniels, Co-Founder, Offender Alumni Association
Location: North Meeting Room G
Pillar #5 Topic: Law Enforcement and Legislation Combatting Human Trafficking featuring Ambassador John Richmond, State Department TIP Office; Doug Gilmer, Department of Human Services of Alabama; Chris Lim, Coordinator, Alabama Anti-Human Trafficking Alliance
Location: Forum Meeting Room C
Pillar #6 Topic: Non-violent Movement for Peace & Reconciliation featuring Carolyn McKinstry, Author & Civil Rights Foot Soldier; Janice Kelsey, Educator & Civil Rights Foot Soldier; James Stewart, Activist & Civil Rights Foot Soldier
Location: North Meeting Room I
Pillar #7 Topic: Starting Anew featuring Melinda McGahee, Executive Director of Lovelady Center
Location: Forum Meeting Room G
Pillar #8 Topic: Rotary International and the United Nations featuring Mark Maloney, Past President,
Rotary International
Location: Forum Meeting Room H
Pillar #8 Topic: Northern Ireland: Is it a Model or Are There Other Models featuring Byron Bland, Associate Director, Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation
Location: Forum Meeting Room I
11:35 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Coffee Break
11:45 a.m. – 12:35 p.m. Breakout Session 2
Pillar #1 Topic: Unconscious Bias featuring Joel Lesko, President of SunShine Learning;
Location: Forum Meeting Room A
Pillar #2 Topic: Saving Families, Together or Apart featuring Rebecca Morris, Sr. VP External Affairs, Embrace Alabama Kids; and Frances Ross Nolan, Attorney, Collaborative Divorce Practitioner, Nolan Pyers PC
Location: Forum Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Teaching Hard History featuring Bishop Van Moody, Founding Pastor, Freedom Schools; Zoe Weil, Director of Education Engagement, Alabama Holocaust Education Center
Location: North Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Unique Charter Schools in the Magic City featuring Dr. Patton Furman, Principal, Magic City Acceptance Academy; Ruben Morris, Founder & CEO, Alabama Aerospace & Aviation High School
Location: North Meeting Room DC
Pillar #4 Topic: Mobile Health Clinic and Housing featuring Gloria Howard, Chief Operating Officer for Alethia House; Dr. Mona Fouad, Professor/Senior Associate Dean at UAB, Live HealthSmart Alabama; and Teresa Shufflebarger, Chief Administration Officer, Live HealthSmart Alabama
Location: North Meeting Room E
Pillar #4 Topic: Importance of Leadership featuring Rev. Denny Blake, Senior Pastor, Disciples of Jesus Ministries and Gay Malony, Past President, Decatur Daybreak Rotary Club
Location: North Meeting Room F
Pillar #5 Topic: Healthcare and Human Trafficking featuring Dr. Hanni Stoklosa, Founder, Heal Trafficking; Rachel Fischer, Survivor & Activist; and Laura Castellanos, Hospitals Against Violence, AHA
Location: North Meeting Room G
Pillar #6 Topic: Promoting Successful Black Businesses featuring Felicia Beard, Senior Director, Racial Equity Initiatives, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo; and Dr. Tim Lampkin, Founder and CEO, Higher Purpose Co.; Damian Carson, Assistant Vice President, Operation HOPE’s One Million Black
Business Initiative (1MBB)
Location: Forum Meeting Room C
Pillar #6 Topic: Racial Healing featuring Lucy Wairimu Mukuria, Kenyan Psychologist and Radio Personality, Founder of True North Society; and Salaam Greene
Location: North Meeting Room I
Pillar #7 Topic: How Rotary Empowers Women & Girls featuring Elizabeth Usovicz, Director of Rotary International; and Jennifer Jones, President, Rotary International
Location: Forum Meeting Room G
Pillar #8 Topic: Peace in Space featuring Rajiv Doreswamy, Manager, Exploration Transportation and Development Office, NASA
Location: Forum Meeting Room I
Pillar #8 Topic: Protection of Civilians featuring Urs Broennimann, Consul General, Swiss Consulate
Location: Forum Meeting Room H
12:35 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Lunch & General Session 2
North Exhibition Hall 2
Featuring Stephanie Sinclair, Photojournalist and Founder, Too Young To Wed; Grace Ndanu, Graduate of Egerton University in Kenya in Gender, Women’s’ and Development Studies;
1:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Coffee Break
2:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. Breakout Session 3
Pillar #2 Topic: Meditation for Family Peace & Health – featuring Dr. Yolanda Lewis-Ragland, Director of Community Impact and Health Equity, National Collaborative for Health Equity
Location: Forum Meeting Room A
Pillar #3 Topic: Quality Education for Every Student featuring Mark Dixon, President, A+ Education Partnership; and Dr. Tommie Bice, Board Chair, i3 Academy;
Location: Forum Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Unique Charter Schools in the Magic City featuring Dr. Patton Furman, Principal, Magic City Acceptance Academy; and Reuben Morris, Executive Director, Alabama Aerospace and Aviation Schools, Inc.
Pillar #4 Topic: Intentional Communities featuring Marcus Briggs-Cloud, Co-Director, Ekvnv Yefolecvlke; Elizabeth Dede, Koinonia Farms
Location: North Meeting Room B
Pillar #4 Topic: Accessible Healthcare featuring Dr. Eva Czermak, Physician and Rotary Peace Fellow; and Dr. Meghan Bonds, Medical Director, Hale County (AL) Hospital
Location: North Meeting Room DC
Pillar #4 Topic: Birmingham: Leading the Way in LGBTQ+ Equality featuring Carmarion Anderson, Alabama State Director Human Rights Campaign and Executive Director of Black Transwomen, Inc.; Alexander Bautisa, LGBTQ+ Latinx Director, AIDS Alabama; Michael Fordham, Program Director, 1917 Clinic; and Gina Mallisham, Executive Director, Jefferson County Memorial Project
Location: North Meeting Room E
Pillar #5 Topic: Fighting Human Trafficking Business: Hospitality, Transportation and Commerce featuring Mark VanBeest, VP External Affairs, Motel 6; Penny Davidson, Amazon; Erica Sarkissian, Delta Airlines; Nikki Clifton, Director, UPS Foundation
Location: North Meeting Room F
Pillar #6 Topic: Educating for Racial Progress featuring Andrea Miller, Executive Director of AlaQuest Collaborative for Education; and Bishop Van Moody, Founding Pastor, Freedom Schools
Location: North Meeting Room G
Pillar #6 Topic: Recovering from Community Trauma featuring Felicia Beard, Senior Director, Racial Equity Initiatives, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
Location: Forum Meeting Room C
Pillar #7 Topic: Programs for Stronger Girls featuring Kristen Greenwood, Executive Director, GirlSpring; and Jessica Rodgers, Director of Program Operations, Girls Inc. of Central Alabama
Location: North Meeting Room I
Pillar #8 Topic: Refugees and Immigrants featuring Luma Mufleh, Founder, Fugees Family; and Dr. Carlos Enrique Alemán, Chief Executive Officer, ¡HICA!
Location: Forum Meeting Room G
Pillar #8 Topic: Institute for Human Rights at the University of Alabama at Birmingham featuring Dr. Tina Kempin-Reuter, Director, Institute for Human Rights at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Location: Forum Meeting Room H
2:50 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Coffee Break
3:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m. Breakout Session 4
Pillar #1 Topic: Peace, Mental Health Through Art featuring Dori DeCamillis, Owner, Red Dot Gallery; Kimberly Kirklin, Director, UAB Arts in Medicine
Location: Forum Meeting Room A
Pillar #2 Topic: Supporting New Families featuring Brandi Moore, Nurse Home Visitor, Office of Clinical and Global Partnerships at UAB; Grace Ndanu, Graduate of Egerton University in Kenya in Gender,
Women’s and Development Studies
Location: Forum Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Education for At-Risk Students featuring Dr. Jeremiah Newell, Superintendent, ACCEL Academy; and Donna Dukes, Founder and Executive Director, Maranathan Academy
Location: North Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Teaching Youth to Make a Difference featuring Jennifer Hatchett, Executive Director, YouthServe, Inc.; and Andrea Miller, Executive Director of AlaQuest Collaborative for Education
Location: North Meeting Room DC
Pillar #4 Topic: Homeboy Industries as a Model featuring Fabian Debora, Executive Director, Homeboy Industries
Location: North Meeting Room E
Pillar #4 Topic: Jefferson County Department of Health Programs Promoting Peace featuring Dr. Mark Wilson, Health Officer, Jefferson County Department of Health
Location: North Meeting Room F
Pillar #4 Topic: Peace Through Sports featuring Shan Foster, CEO, Fostering Healthy Solutions and Retired NBA Player; Luma Mufleh, Founder, Fugees Family; and Ron Froehlich
Location: North Meeting Room G
Pillar #5 Topic: Rotary’s Work on Human Trafficking featuring Dave McCleary, President, End Human Trafficking Now – Rotary Action Group Against Slavery; Jeremy Hurst, Zone 33-34 Director; and Bob Deering, DGN
Location: Forum Meeting Room C
Pillar #6 Topic: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Today featuring DeJuana Thompson, President of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Location: North Meeting Room I
Pillar #7 Topic: Supporting Women Recovering from Trauma featuring Melinda McGahee, Executive Director, Lovelady Center; Carolyn Potter, CEO, WellHouse; and Rev. Becca Stevens, Founder and CEO, Thistle Farm
Location: Forum Meeting Room G
Pillar #8 Topic: International Programs for Cities of Peace featuring Rudy Westervelt, Past Governor,
Rotary District 5330
Location: Forum Meeting Room H
3:50 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Coffee Break
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. General Session 3
North Exhibition Hall 2
Topic: The Physiological Benefits of Mediation featuring Bob Roth, Chief Executive Officer, Spokesperson for Transcendental Meditation and the David Lynch Foundation
Topic: Women Empowerment featuring Liz Huntley, Author, Attorney and Co-Founder of The Hope Institute
Topic: The Institute for Economics and Peace: Theory and Practice featuring Steve Killelea, Founder and CEO, Institute for Economics and Peace
5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Cocktail Hour in Friendship Hall
7 p.m. – Dinner with Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda (Click here to purchase tickets)
Conference Day 2
Saturday, May 6
8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. General Session 4
North Exhibition Hall 2
Topic: Peace in Sri Lanka featuring Ravi Ravindran, Past President, Rotary International
Topic: Empowerment of Women featuring Rev. Becca Stevens, Founder & CEO, Thistle Farm
Topic: The Horseshoe Project featuring John Dorsey, Founder and CEO, Project Horeshoe Farm
10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Coffee Break
10:15 a.m. – 11:05 a.m. Breakout Session 5
Pillar #1 Topic: Peace Through Art featuring Fabian Debora, Executive Director, Homeboy Art Academy
Location: Forum Meeting Room A
Pillar #2 Topic: Support for At-Risk Families featuring Joan Witherspoon-Norris, Executive Director, Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers; Lori Foreman, Director of Programs, Embrace Alabama Kids; Danny Carr, District Attorney, Jefferson County, AL
Location: Forum Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Building a Culture of Peace in Schools featuring Dr. Patricia Simpson, Executive Director, The Hope Institute; and Andrea Miller, Executive Director of AlaQuest Collaborative for Education
Location: North Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Peace Using the Arts featuring Allie Gorrie, Red Mountain Theatre; Fabian Debora, Executive Director, Homeboy Industries; and Julie Danley, UAB ArtPlay
Location: North Meeting Room DC
Pillar #4 Topic: Training Tomorrow’s Servant Leaders featuring Caroline Janeway, Alabama State Director, Impact America – Alabama; and John Dorsey, Founder and CEO, Project Horseshoe Farm
Location: North Meeting Room E
Pillar #4 Topic: Purpose Built Communities featuring Carol Naughton, CEO, Purpose Built Communities; and Mashonda Taylor, Executive Director, Woodlawn United
Location: North Meeting Room F
Pillar #5 Topic: Educating to Prevent Human Trafficking featuring Ashlie Bryant, Founder and CEO, 3 Strands Global Foundation; Valerie Ellery, Educator & Best Selling Author; Veronica McDaniel, Teacher, Atlanta International School
Location: North Meeting Room G
Pillar #6 Topic: Relearning History featuring Carey Fountain, Black Cherry Tree Project; and Gina Mallisham, Executive Director, Jefferson County Memorial Project
Location: Forum Meeting Room C
Pillar #6 Topic: Freedom Riders Training Institute featuring Charles Person, Civil Rights Activist; and Pete Conroy, Director, Environmental Policy and Information Center (EPIC), Jacksonville State University
Location: North Meeting Room I
Pillar #7 Topic: Lifting Up Women in Africa featuring Stephanie Sinclaire, Photojournalist and Founder, Too Young To Wed; Grace Ndanu, Graduate of Egerton University in Kenya in Gender, Women’s’ and Development Studies; and Lucy Wairimu Mukuria, Kenyan Psychologist and Radio Personality, Founder of True North Society
Location: Forum Meeting Room G
Pillar #8 Topic: Institute for Economics & Peace Q&A featuring Steve Killelea, Founder and CEO
Location: Forum Meeting Room H
11:05 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Coffee Break
11:15 a.m. – 12:05 p.m. Breakout Session 6
Pillar #1 Topic: Be Kind, Be Peaceful featuring Ashish Kulshrestha, Director, Kp.m.G’s Deal Advisory Strategy
Location: Forum Meeting Room A
Pillar #2 Topic: Caring for Our Elderly featuring Robyn James, Director, Elder Justice Center of Alabama; and John Dorsey, Founder and CEO, Project Horseshoe Farm
Location: Forum Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Peace on College Campuses – Combatting Addiction and Dating Violence featuring Kristina Canfield, Executive Director, Association of Recovery in Higher Education; Susann-Montgomery Clark, Founder, Megan’s Fund
Location: North Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Freedom Schools: Combatting Education Deficits featuring Bishop Van Moody, Founding Pastor, Freedom Schools
Location: North Meeting Room DC
Pillar #4 Topic: Violence Intervention/Prevention featuring Rasheedat Fetuga, Founder & CEO, Gideon’s Army; Deborah Daniels, Founder, Offender Alumni Association
Location: North Meeting Room E
Pillar #5 Topic: Mobilizing Against Human Trafficking featuring Renata Parras, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Counsel, Paul Hastings; Heather Fischer, Senior Advisor for Human Rights Crimes,
Thomson Reuters Special Services
Location: North Meeting Room F
Pillar #6 Topic: Educating for Black Financial Success featuring James Sutton, Executive Director, BuildUp Ensley; Dr. Tim Lampkin, Founder and CEO, Higher Purpose Co.; Cleo Washington, Director, Legislative Affairs, AT&T
Location: North Meeting Room G
Pillar #7 Topic: Overcoming Challenges featuring Dr. LaRhonda Magras, CEO, YWCA of Central Alabama; and Melinda McGahee, Executive Director of Lovelady Center
Location: Forum Meeting Room C
Pillar #8 Topic: Anthropology at UAB featuring Dr. Peter Verbeek, Ph.D., Associate Professor/Program Director, Department of Anthropology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Location: Forum Meeting Room G
Pillar #8 Topic: International Programs for Cities and Peace featuring Rudy Westervelt, Past Governor,
Rotary District 5330
Location: North Meeting Room I
12:05 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch & General Session 5
Topic: Carrying The Work Forward featuring Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King
CEO, The King Center
North Exhibition Hall
1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Coffee Break
1:45 p.m. – 2:35 p.m. Breakout Session 7
Pillar #1 Topic: Transforming Ourself Through 12 Step Programs featuring Kristina Canfield, Executive Director, Association of Recovery in Higher Education
Location: Forum Meeting Room A
Pillar #2 Topic: Supporting Families of the Disabled featuring John Kemp, Lakeshore Foundation; and Joan Witherspoon-Norris, Executive Director, Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers
Location: Forum Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Nature for Student Peace featuring LaTanya Scott, Education Director, Cahaba River Society; and Verna Gates, Founder and Executive Director, Fresh Air Family
Location: North Meeting Room B
Pillar #4 Topic: Teaching and Training Men about Domestic Violence Prevention featuring Gail Fowler, Violence Intervention Program Manager, Safeplace; Shan Foster, CEO, Fostering Healthy Solutions and Retired NBA Player
Location: North Meeting Room DC
Pillar #4 Topic: The Dannon Project featuring Kerri Pruitt, Founder, The Dannon Project; Moderated by Jeh Jeh Pruitt, Anchor, Good Day Alabama & Co-Founder, The Dannon Project
Location: North Meeting Room E
Pillar #5 Topic: Survivor Services featuring Jessica Munoz, Founder & CEO, Hoʻōla Nā Pua Pua (HNP); Carolyn Potter, CEO, WellHouse; and Rachel Fischer, Survivor & Activist
Location: North Meeting Room F
Pillar #6 Topic: Unconscious Bias featuring T. Marie King, Film Maker and Anti-Racism Training Facilitator; Joel Lesko, President, SunShower Learning; and Debra Nelson, President, Elevate Communications, Inc.
Location: North Meeting Room G
Pillar #6 Topic: Combatting Community Violence featuring Rasheedat Fetuga, Founder & CEO, Gideon’s Army; and Onoyemi Williams, Deputy Director and Community Violence Interruption Organizer/Strategist; Moderated by Dr. Mark Wilson, Health Officer, Jefferson County Department of Health
Location: Forum Meeting Room C
Pillar #7 Topic: FGM Education and Prevention featuring Stephanie Sinclaire, Photojournalist and Founder, Too Young To Wed; Grace Ndanu, Graduate of Egerton University in Kenya in Gender, Women’s’ and Development Studies; and Lucy Wairimu Mukuria, Kenyan Psychologist and Radio Personality,
Founder of True North Society
Location: North Meeting Room I
Pillar #8 Topic: Mediators Beyond Borders featuring Martin Martin, Global Partnership Manager for Mediators Beyond Borders
Location: Forum Meeting Room G
Pillar #8 Topic: US Human Rights Cities Alliance featuring Jackie Smith, Founder of US Human Rights Cities Alliance; Molefi Askari, Co-Chair, The Ubuntu Institute for Community Development
Location: Forum Meeting Room H
2:35 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Coffee Break
2:45 p.m. – 4 p.m. Closing General Session
Featuring Will Ratliff, Chairperson
2023 International Peace Conference
North Exhibition Hall
7 p.m. – Peace Concert Benefitting Ukrainian Refugees
Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center
University of Alabama at Birmingham
1200 10th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294
Click here to purchase tickets or call the Alys Stephens Center Box Office at 205-975-2787
